The status bar in SOLIDWORKS is one of those tools that has been staring users in the face since day one but is often overlooked. It’s potentially the most underutilized tool in the software. It is the area of the interface in the lower right-hand corner that has all sorts of useful information that can help you speed up your design workflow, if you know how to use it. In this week’s Video Tech Tip, we show you how to use the functionality of the status bar to instantly take measurements of your designs.
The status bar is the lower right corner of the interface that has information like your unit system, the editing state of the file and some quick measurements. The quick measurement functionality was added in 2015 and has made the most impact on modeling speed. The quick measure capabilities of the status bar include length, radius, diameter and even angles.
How To Use The Status Bar
- Length of an edge: Just select a model edge to see its length in the status bar.
- Distance between two faces: Use the Control key to select two parallel faces to see the normal distance between them.
- Radius: Click on a circular face to see the radius. This works for fillets too.
- Diameter: Click on the circular edge or face to see the diameter.
- Angle between faces: Use the Control key to select multiple faces and see the angle between them.
As you can see, by taking advantage of the quick measure capabilities in the status bar you can reduce your design time.
Want to learn more tips and tricks with SOLIDWORKS? Browse our SOLIDWORKS training classes.
